*'''Newcomb's Ranch''', on the nearby Angeles Crest Highway. A bit pricier, offering prime rib and various holiday specials, such as on Mother's Day. Both see heavy use by motorcycle enthusiasts. Newcomb's Ranch sees much use by a younger crowd driving high performance Japanese motorcycles.

*'''Newcomb's Ranch''', on the nearby Angeles Crest Highway. A bit pricier, offering prime rib and various holiday specials, such as on Mother's Day. Both see heavy use by motorcycle enthusiasts. Newcomb's Ranch sees much use by a younger crowd driving high performance Japanese motorcycles.

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*<eat name="Mount Baldy Lodge" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">A small restaurant in the middle of Baldy Village. Friendly staff with good food. There's a small dance floor that is also occassionally used during live performances.</eat>

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*<eat name="Mount Baldy Lodge" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">A small restaurant in the middle of Baldy Village. Friendly staff with good food. There's a small dance floor that is also occassionally used for live performances.</eat>

Contents

Understand

History

Landscape

Flora and fauna

Climate

The Angeles National Forest is in Southern California, and the weather acts accordingly. For much of the year the forest has warnings posted regarding fires. Even at some of the higher elevations it can stay a bit warm. During the winter, however, it can get cold. From the months of December through March there is often snow on the ground go be enjoyed by those up for some skiing, innertubing, or general snowplay.

Get in

Heading West on the 210 Freeway
Exit Campus Ave., in Upland. Make a right at the light and a left at the stop sign shortly ahead. This road will take you passed the rock quarry and curve up to being northbound. A right at the first stop will lead you to Euclid Ave. Make a right and head North on Euclid to the firestation. Follow directions for "From I-10" from this point.Heading East on the 210 Freeway
Exit Monte Vista/Padua/Baseline on the eastern border of Claremont. This exit has been known to change names at times. When you exit you will end up at a stoplight facing north towards the mountains. A Left turn here will take you West where you will see the light for Monte Vista to the south and Padua to the north. Turn right up Padua and continue all the way up to the light at Mt Baldy Rd. Take a right at the light and follow it all the way up.From I-10
On Euclid Ave in Upland, head north, towards the mountains. Follow Euclid all the way to the top. When you reach the firestation at the top of Euclid the street will no longer be divided. You will need to make a left at the stop sign and then a right at a split stop sign in order to continue up Euclid on the left side of the firestation. Continue following the road up the mountain. The road will come to a T at Baldy Road. A left will head you down to Padua Hills. There are some hiking trails at the turnouts on the way down the hill in this direction. Continuing to head this way can lead you straight down Padua and Monte Vista to the Montclair Plaza. A right at the stop will take you up to Baldy Village, Manker Flats, Icehouse, or the Mount Baldy skiing area.

Fees/Permits

Parking permits can be purchased at the ranger's station in Mount Baldy Village. On some days permits are not required. If you are cited the fee is usually just the amount of a parking pass.

Get around

By car
A good portion of the forest can be seen without having to get out of your car. Mount Baldy road can take you to the parking lot of the ski lift at Mt Baldy. From Mount Baldy Village it is possible to take Glendora Ridge Road. This road can take you out in Glendora, or continue on all the way to the top of highway 39. Make sure you have enough gas, there are no stops along the way. And check beforehand on road conditions as this route is frequently closed during the winter due to snow and during the summer due to fire hazards.By bicycle
If you're of the more athletic sort, the climb up Mount Baldy Road has been used by many. There is normally plenty of space for bicyclists with only a coupld tunnels to worry about sharing some tight space with passing cars. Staying on the lower roads from Euclid to Padua can also provide a nice little loop with some good elevtaion changes.By foot
Much of the forest can be enjoyed on foot. Many paths are well-marked and make for some pleasant hiking. The ski lift at Mount Baldy runs throughout much of skiing's off-season in order to help some with the climb to the hiking trails found a little higher up.

See

Suggested Day Hikes

Manker Flats Loop

Distance: 11.25 miles round trip

Elevation Gain: 4300 ft

Hiking Time: 7 hours

Difficulty: Strenuous

Trail Condition: Good, some difficult spots

Hike Type: Loop

Switchbacks: Few

Take the 210 Interstate and exit on Mountain Avenue heading North into the Angeles National Forest. Follow Mountain Avenue until the intersection with Shinn Road and turn left. Follow Shinn Road until Mt. Baldy Road and turn right. Follow this road through two tunnels, Mt. Baldy village and finally up to Manker Flats. After the road becomes dual carriage way, look out on the left for sign to the San Antonio Falls Road. Park here but don't block the gate.

Follow the track after the first switch back when you are over the trailhead. A single-track path veers up to the left. Follow this one. The light-green ski hut is approximately at 8200 feet. Please take a break there! After that it is a fairly rapid climb to the 10064 feet of Mount Baldy (San Antonio) summit.

Descend eastwards along the Devil's Backbone ridge and watch out especially in snowy/icy/rainy conditions, as the path has partially been covered by landslides in some spots. Back at the Baldy Notch Skihut at 7800 feet, take the ski lift down for $8 or if you haven't had enough walking for one day descend by the dirt track back to Manker Flats (approximately 1 hour).

Do

Mt Baldy Trout Pools, 801 San Antonio Creek Rd (just passed Baldy Village on the right), ☎909-982-4246, [2]. Family owned and ready to give the kids a nice little fishing experience. You only have to pay for the fish you catch. But be ready to hand over some cash- the fish are always biting.

Buy

Hansens Honey, 1 Ice House Canyon Road, ☎909-985-2148. Buy some honey on your way up to Ice House canyon. Parking permits can also be purchased here.

Eat

The Hidden Springs Cafe, Angeles Forest Highway, at the mid point between Palmdale and La Canada (17 miles north of Foothill Blvd.). It offers very good, inexpensive food and beer (beer must be consumed on the outside patio). It sees a lot of older and retired people who drive Harley Davidson vehicles.

Newcomb's Ranch, on the nearby Angeles Crest Highway. A bit pricier, offering prime rib and various holiday specials, such as on Mother's Day. Both see heavy use by motorcycle enthusiasts. Newcomb's Ranch sees much use by a younger crowd driving high performance Japanese motorcycles.

Mount Baldy Lodge. A small restaurant in the middle of Baldy Village. Friendly staff with good food. There's a small dance floor that is also occassionally used for live performances.

Drink

Sleep

Lodging

Mount Baldy Lodge has 6 cabins to stay at. A bit farther up the hill is Snow Crest Lodge.

Camping

Backcountry

Stay safe

While most of the area is fairly frequently traveled and patrolled by hikers as well as the county sherrif's department, caution should be used when traveling through the forest. Some of the trails can be more strenuous than you may first suspect and leaving the trails can be dangerous. During the winter months there can be a good deal of snow and ice on the paths. Spend some time to research the trails, talk to the rangers, and make your time here as enjoyable as it should be. Also, the forest has seen its share of wildlife including bear and mountain lion. Take all necessary precautions when hiking, camping, or just wandering through.

Get out

On the west of the forest is Hwy 2 which requires just a short jaunt to Pasadena or Glendale. Heading East can take you through the San Bernardino National forest to Wrightwood. A more south-east departure will pass you on into Ontario.